Container fastening means



NOV. 8, A, G FlOCCA CONTAINER FASTENING MEANS Filed Sept. 18, 1955 FIG. 6

ATTORNEY United States PatentOiice 2,722,959 Patented Nov. 8, 1955 CONTAINER FASTENING MEANS Alphonso G. Fiocca, Bayside, N. Y. Application September 18, 1953, Serial No. 381,609

Claims. (Cl. 15G- 28) This invention relates generally to a device and method for fastening two pieces of a flexible material together and relates more particularly to a device and method for fastening the side portions to the bottom portions of containers such as ladies handbags, luggage, cases, boxes, and similar items.

The usual practice for fastening pieces of flexible material used in such items consists of stitching the two materials together with a hand-sewn or machine-sewn seam.

In order to do this in a container type of article, it is common practice to sew the articles in an inside out position and upon completion of the seam to turn the article right side out, leaving an attractive seam exposed. Such a sewing method requires very skilled craftsmen to sew and to turn the articles so that a smooth seam sewn while the article is turned inside out wiil retain the smoothness when the article is turned right side out. This results in a very high labor charge being incurred by manufacturers of these articles and also results in delays in delivery due to seasonal shortages of such skilled craftsmen. Turning the articles right side out after sewing, as is now the common practice, causes wrinkles, creases, and twisting in the material, which spoils the appearance and reduces the value of the article. The present invention eliminates these defects, since the turning is no longer necessary.

The present invention provides a device for and a method of fastening together two flexible materials, such as the side and bottom portions of a container, which is simple, inexpensive, and attractive, and which can be performed by untrained personnel. The completed seam is as strong or stronger than the sewn seam, has an appearance similar to the sewn seam, and is adaptable to novel and intricate shapes of articles not readily sewn by presently-known stitching methods. f

An object of the invention is to simplify the manufacture and to improve the appearance of articles such as containers, cases, boxes, handbags, luggage, etc., by providing a simple fastening device and method for the seams of these articles.

Another object is to provide a method of fastening flexible materials, such as leather or similar material, which is simple and readily accomplished by unskilled operators.

Another object is to provide a seam which is capable of fastening the side portions to the bottom portions of a container having a novel bottom shape.

Another object is to provide a simple and inexpensive method and means of fastening leatherlike materials.

Another object is to provide a simple and effective device for and method of fastening the sides of a womans handbag to the bottom portion.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and Various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been selected for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view partially in section of a ladys handbag such as is manufactured using the device and method of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view partially in section of the handbag shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a fastening channel and bottom plate;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the fastening channel and bottom plate with the fastened material inserted therein;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view generally similar to Fig. 5 showing a modified form of channel and a bead or4 welt inserted between the two fastened materials;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view generally similar to Fig. 5 showing a modified form of channel and fastening;

Fig. 8 is a sectional View of a fastening channel showing it used with a bottom plate having a concave shape.

While this invention as hereinafter described and illustrated refers principally to a ladys handbag, it is to be understood that the fastening device and method is applicable to types of articles such as luggage, brief cases, boxes, and other containers.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. l and 2, a container l is shown comprising an upper portion 2 of a ilexible sheet material such as plastic or leather and a bottom portion d which consists of a plate 5 covered on its bottom portion by a bottom covering 6. Covering 6 is usually a material similar to that comprising the upper portion 2 but may be any suitable ilexible material. The edges of the upper portion 2 and the bottom covering 6 are fastened together by the seam 7 to be further described below.

Seam 7 consists of a channel 9 (Figs. 3, 4, and 5) formed at the edge of plate 5 by fastening an upper shaped member 8 to a lower plate 5. Upper portion 2 and lower covering 6 are inserted into channel 9 (Fig. 5) and are held there by the gripping action of channel 9. Channel 9 is made of such dimensions that the upper portion 2 andthe bottom covering 6 may be easily inserted therein. The open edge of channel 9 is then squeezed together to grip portions 2 and 6. ln the preferred embodiment the top portion lll of shaped member 8 is bent downward, pinching the portion 2 and covering 6 and holding them tightly in the channel 9. A suitable cement or glue l2 may be applied in channel 9.

Fig. 7 shows channel 9 proportioned to retain portions 2 and 6 without squeezing the channel 9. in this embodiment the portion 2 and covering 6 are forced into the channel and are retained by the compression caused thereby. A cording l5 may be stuffed between portions 2 and 6 to cause a tighter fit and thus a more secure fastening. A modified form of channel is shown in Fig. 7 wherein the shaped member 8 has a U shape. It is clear that this method of insertion could be used with other methods of channel construction, including those shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 8.

The outward appearance of seam 7 resembles a perfectly sewn seam with an even, smooth edge and no visible imperfections such as exposed needle holes, creases, wrinkles or twists. In the case of an article such as a handbag the lower plate serves the double purpose of providing a rigid bottom piece for member 8 and a bottom for the container itself. The need for conventional stilfening and the labor incident to its insertion is greatly reduced since the channel and lower plate provide the required amount of stilfe'ning.

The channel 9 may also be cut directly in the edge of the bottom plate 5 where the bottom plate is of sufcient thickness. Plate 5 and shaped member 8 may be made of any suitable material such as metal, wood, plastic, hard rubber or glass, etc., and where the shaped member 8 is fastened to plate 5 any suitable fastening means may be used.

Fig. 6 shows the upper portion 2 and the bottom covering 6 fastened in a manner generally 'similar to that of Fig. 5 with the addition of a bead or wetting 14 between portion 2 and covering 6. This bead may be inserted with the portions 2 and 6 to improve the appearance of the seam and to give it an appearance similar to the above-mentioned sewn seams which also use the beads. The shaped member 8 has an alternative shape in Fig. 6 with a wide lower piece suitable fastened to plate 5.

Fig. 8 shows a member 16 fastened to the edges of a shaped bottom plate or cup member 17. With the fastening method of the present invention it is clear that this bottom plate 17 may be shaped in any number of attractive forms such as the one shown in Fig. 8 in order to improve the appearance of the articles. The use of these novel shapes adds little to the time and expense required to manufacture the articles since the bottom covering 6 and the upper portion 2 are fastened in the same inexpensive manner as is used with the at plate S of Fig. 4. It is also clear that the horizontal cross section of the bottom plate, one form of which is shown in Fig. 3, may take an infinite number of shapes or designs without making the forming of seam 7 more diicult. This allows the container designer to use shapes not practical in sewn seams due to the skill required to stitch the more complicated shapes.

Thus there has been provided an attractive, simple, easily-formed seam which can be used in the manufacture of a great variety of container-like articles. The fastening may be made rapidly by inexperienced personnel. The resulting seam has an attractive appearance very similar to that of a sewn seam in such materials as leather or plastic. This seam also will provide a strong, permanent fastening suitable for rough usage. The method and device of fastening are also particularly adapted for use in fastening materials used to cover shaped articles having a variety of attractive and novel designs as suggested above.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacricing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a handbag, the combination of a rigid bottom plate member, an outwardly facing channel around the edge of said plate member, an upper bag portion of flexible material, a ilexible lower covering portion for the bottom of said plate member, and the edge of said bag portion adjacent said plate and the edge of said lower covering portion being inserted in said channel whereby said bag portion and said lower covering portion are connected to each other and to said plate.

2. In a handbag, the combination of a flexible upper bag portion, a relatively rigid bottom plate member, a flexible covering for the bottom of said plate member, an elongated shaped member fastened to the edge of said plate member whereby an outwardly facing channel is formed at the edge of said plate member, the lower edge of said upper bag portion inserted in said channel, the edge of said bottom covering inserted in said channel below the inserted portion of said upper bag portion and said channel gripping said inserted edges whereby a seam is formed between said upper bag portion and said bottom covering.

3. In a handbag, the combination of an upper flexible bag portion, a rigid bottom plate, a ringlike channel member around the edge of said plate, a lower exible bottom portion, the lower edge of said upper bag portion inserted into the upper portion of said channel, the edge of said bottom portion inserted into said channel beneath the inserted edge of said upper bag portion and said channel gripping said inserted edges whereby said upper bag portion and said lower bottom portion are attached together and to said channel member.

4. The handbag as claimed in claim 1 in which said plate member has a dished shape.

5. The handbag as claimed in claim l in which a cordlike member is wedged in said channel between the inserted edges of said bag portion and said lower covering portion.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,197,922 Ellinger Sept. 12, 1916 1,367,978 Kahlow Feb. 8, 1921 1,430,768 Tannenbaum Oct. 3, 1922 1,571,089 Carpenter Jan. 26, 1926 1,726,245 Shelton Aug. 27, 1929 2,377,311 Campbell lune 5, 1945 FOREGN PATENTS 34,952 France Oct. 22, 17929 42,576 France Aug. 23, 1933 748,599 France July 6, 1933 

